Axis History Forum

This is an apolitical forum for discussions on the Axis nations and related topics hosted by the Axis History Factbook in cooperation with Christian Ankerstjerne’s Panzerworld and Christoph Awender's WW2 day by day.
Founded in 1999.

Thanks very much for the information. I knew of the gun at Johannesburg (there's photos here - http://www.sacktrick.com/igu/germancolo ... erggun.htm ), but I didn't know the fate of the other gun. Thanks for filling me in there, and yes, I'm sure you're right on the bolted breech, it wouldn't make much sense would it?

Let me add two `newer´ photos from the Photo archive of the University in Frankfurt / Main. Both photos are really not in
the best quality, but this is maybe the only reason that they survived and now a part of this archive. Nearly all documents
and also negatives were confiscated from the German troops when they were taken prisoner of war in GEA;- therefore all.
Pictured are one of the provisional Artillery units which were established by the Schutztruppe after the declaration of war.
We are talking about the `Light Ordnance department Daressalam´ which was first-time established at the 28.August 1914.

In my opinion these photos taken also by Walther Dobbertin during 1915 near by the capital city of GEA, at Daressalam,
even if they were a part of the estate of the German medical officer, Stabsarzt Dr. Wilhelm Erhart of the `Schutztruppe´.
The reason for this presumption is that both fit exactly to a whole series of photos which are demonstrable from Dobbertin
and today stored at the Bundesarchiv in Koblenz / BRD. These photos only survived and were not robbed because Alwine, Dobbertin´ s wife smuggled the negatives secretly from GEA in 1919 when every German person have to leave the country.

This photo shows four guns in firing position, probable during an exercise around Daressalam. From left to right:
one 6-cm-Bootskanone (With an protective shield!), one 3,7-cm-Revolverkanone and two C 73 Feldkanonen.

This image descriptions in the annex of both photos, described the origin (Wilhelm Erhart), confirmed the different gun types,
mentioned also the name of Vizewachtmeister d.R. (Hans Heinrich Karl) Beusse and the text passage in Ludwig Boell´s book.

The following document shows a scan from Ludwig Boell´s original records which he use 1951 for his book. Because of the poor,
and very different paper qualities of the remaining records we can assume that these are dated back to the East African campaign.
On one of the original, thin parchment is pictured also the positioning of the `Leichte Artillerie (Abteilung) Daressalam´ with three C 73 Feldkanonen, one 6-cm-Bootskanone and one 3,7-cm-Revolverkanone. Furthermore the names of both Artillery leaders: Vizewachtmeister d.R. (Offiziersanwärter) Hermann Sabath and Vizewachtmeister d.R. Hans Heinrich Karl Beusse. Sabath was
in November 1918 one of the `Last 155´ in Abercorn and one of most capable artilleryman of the `Schutztruppe´. He invented and
designed an straightening methods for indirect fire of the old C 1873 Feldkanonen, which was first time used Oktober 1915 near Luvungi in the Belgian Congo. Beusse participated as leader of an Artillery-detachment the `East-Troops´ up to November 1917.

[The Koblenz branch of the Bundesarchiv should contains an extensive estate with writings and documents from Sabath. This
include also papers of the German Colonial period and writings and documents to the works of Ludwig Boell (1/2 meter of files!)]

Source: Part of the unpublished raw manuscript of Ludwig Boell for the book: `The Operations in East-Africa, World War 1914-1918´

As officer-candidate, Vizewachtmeister d.R. Hermann Sabath was also pictured with other `regular´ officers 1919 in Daressalam.

Below is shown a C 1873 Feldkanone with limber and six mules as draught animals. Only the Gun Leader ride a horse.
This photo from Walther Dobbertin belongs to the series of the `Light Ordnance department Daressalam´ also in 1915
around the capital. The whole gun crew were Europeans and only the team of ammunition gunners are local Germans.

The lower four photos belongs also to the series from Walter Dobbertin, produced 1914/15 around the capital.
Pictured are the already mentioned `Leichte Artillerie (Abteilung) Daressalam´, in this case even with six guns.

On the left side established the three C 73 Feldkanonen (each covered by six mules) of the 1. Artillery platoon.

On the right side are also three smaller guns visibly which are pulled by only four/two mules from the 2. platoon.
As far as identifiable; the first gun is the 6-cm-Bootskanone with the protective shield and the second should be the6,5-cm-Kolonialkanone. The third gun isn´t themselves really visible, but could be only the 3,7-cm-Revolverkanone.

(Numbers and gun-types will be verified by a document which we shall address extensive and more detailed below.)

There even exists small film-clips from the `Leichte Artillerie (Abteilung) Daressalam´. Below is shown a picture, taken
during a TV-documentation about the formally German East-Africa Colony on a TV channel in 2007. Due to the fact that Dobbertin have had the only photo- and film studio in Daressalam it could be expected that this clip is also made by him.

As far as it was identifiable this film-clip-section shows a C 73 Feldkanone with limber and seven of the gun crew: one gun-leader on a horse, threemembers; each riding one of the six mules and three gunners sitting on the limber.

Source: (still unknown / I can't recall exactly)

This `13 second clip´ shows all three C 73 Feldkanonen of the `Leichte Artillerie (Abteilung) Daressalam´. Clear to see
how far the guns pushed back by the recoil, because this type have had no barrel recoil system. It appears that this film
recorded on the same ground where also the other photos were taken during an exercise, because a photographer would
be not so closely near the guns during fights with these big and heavy cameras on a tripod which was used at that time.

Here a clear and nice picture from this `archaic seeming´ beauty, old gun-system, the Hotchkiss 3,7-cm-Revolving gun.
The 3,7-cm Revolverkanone was also a part of the `Leichte Artillerie (Abteilung) Daressalam´

The following photo was a good example to demonstrate that it is always worthwhile to look very closely on photos!
At first glance it seems to be that the upper and lower photo pictured not only the same type, but really the identical
gun, from diverse perspectives. Only by an exact comparison it became apparent that not only numbers and positions
of the rivets are different, also the protective shield is three-part at the upper gun and by the lower contains one piece.
In any case both photos shows, although the same model, but definitely two guns and is a good example for the, also
non-combat engineering abilities of the staff in the Flotilla-shipyard respectively the Railway-workshop in Daressalam.

Below we see a detail enlargement of a picture with the 6,5-cm Berg Kanone, left and the 6-cm Kolonialkanone, right.
Because of the three (?) rank silver chevrons on the upper arm of the uniform (Vizewachtmeister or Sergeant Major) the
men on the mould in the foreground, could be quite Hermann Sabath or Hans Heinrich Karl Beusse, both with this rank.

The following pages are also from Boell´s preparations for his book. A number of contemporary witnesses saying that he
carried always a small portable typewriter with him. Perhaps therefore originated the statement that von Lettow-Vorbeck
instructed Boell already during the war, to start with a summary of this campaign with a more detailed German perspective.

This document shows a scanned copy of a letter from Sabath to General Wahle on 28. July 1915. Sabath proposed in this
writing a reorganization of the `Light Ordnance department Daressalam´ and modifications regarding the conversion from
trek-ox to mule-covering as draught animals and the coordination of the ammunition columns directly behind the front line.

The first page mentioned that in the middle of 1915 the `Light Artillery Detachment´ contained this time even with six guns:3 x C 1873 Feldkanonen1 x 3,7-cm Revolverkanone1 x 6-cm Kolonialkanone (The official description varied between: Boots-, Landungs- und Kolonialkanone)1 x 6,5-cm BergKanone (more about that later . . .)

Source: Part of the unpublished raw manuscript of Ludwig Boell for the book: `The Operations in East-Africa, World War 1914-1918´

The army doctor of the Schutztruppe Ludwig Deppe confirmed in his memories types and numbers of the above listed guns.
If we look on the publication date, 1919, it is unlikely to assume that L. Deppe have had written off by L. Boell´s book in 1951.

“The Ruvu-Battery have been brought to Daressalam on 30. November 1914 when the Britons drove into the port entrance.
But the guns arrived the harbor only in the night and couldn´t use against the enemy. To these two a third cannon C 73 was
attached, which stood up to this time in Tabora. These three guns formed together with a 6-Zentimeter-Kolonialgeschütz, one
mobile Revolverkanone and one 6,5-Zentimeter-Geschütz, the “Leichte Artillerie Daressalam”, with Vizewachtmeister Sabath.“ Source: “Mit Lettow Vorbeck durch Afrika“, Anhang, Unsere Artillerie, pages 481/482, Ludwig Deppe, Scherl, Berlin 1919.

Excellent compilation that is motivating me to point into another direction when it comes to German artillery in the colonies. The Marine-Feld-Batterie was subordinated to III. Seebataillon in Tsingtau with six 7.7cm Krupp field guns. I have attached some images from an excerise in the Lauschan mountains and from an excerise on open ground. Note the the difficult terrain in the Lauschan mountains.

Regards,
Timm

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Very good idea to add some artillery matters from the Far East. Really amazing photos.
Many thanks for posting the pictures. I never saw these before. 7.7-cm Krupp field guns!
These are really modern guns even with automatic recoil!

Not these smokescreen producing and black powder running museums inventor, like the C 73 guns.
If Lettow-Vorbeck have had at that time these guns in East Africa, he haven´t laid down his arms not yet.

Unfortunately I don't have more information about the arrival of these guns in Tsingtau. The battery was already raised in 1898 and other images are showing older models.

Enjoy reading the first volume of "Der Krieg zur See 1914-1918", a real rare book to get nowadays. Regarding the Lauschan Mountains. I guess the expression "berittene Gebirgsmarine" has it's roots in the former German colony. The terrain was very difficult and accidents during exercises quite often.

Thanks for the link, I wasn't aware of the exchange between the Bundes-Archive and the City of Qingdao.

Best regards,
Timm

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Thanks for the link. I know Mr. Schmidt very well and he helped me a lot researching the fate of my wife's great-grandparents, but he has no information about the order of battle of the Marine-Feld-Batterie.

Regards,
Timm

BTW, although the quality of the image is very poor, another image of the battery moving through the streets of Tsingtau.

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German Artillery 1914 in DSWA and handover to the South Africans in 1915

I have always wondered why the German `Schutztruppe´ in GSWA have had handed over, from 42 guns which were 1914
in service, 36 guns in 1915 to the South Africans? Among them are all of the 12 modern 7,5-cm Geb K L17 M08. This guns
were later used against the German `Schutztruppe´ in GEA. I know that some of the older C 73 were sunk in Lake Otjikoto.

Have had the DSWA `Schutztruppe´ in return for this agreeing received any concessions from the enemy? And would
under normal circumstances the Commander who was responsible for this, not to be accused in front of a court martial?

Captured German guns in Khorab. In the center the 12 modern 7,5-cm Geb K L17 M08

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“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984